Article carrier

ABSTRACT

An article carrier having bottom and sidewalls and end wall panels foldably joined together in conventional fashion and provided with medial handle structure is arranged with partition structure on each side of the handle, the partition structures each including a medial panel secured to an auxiliary panel struck from the handle and folded downwardly together with a transverse partition panel foldably joined to the medial partition panel. If desired, a reinforcing and anchoring panel may be foldably joined to the transverse partition panel and secured to the sidewall and anchoring flaps foldably secured to edges of the medial partition panel and to the reinforcing and anchoring panel may be secured to transverse partition straps foldably joined both to the handle and to the sidewalls.

United States Patent James T. Stout Doravllle, Ga.

July 6, 1970 Nov. 30, 197 1 The Mead Corporation [72] Inventor [21 Appl. No. [22] Filed 45] Patented [73] Assignee 54] ARTICLE CARRIER 3,236,414 2/1966 Slevin, Jr. 220/113 3,443,723 5/1969 Arneson 220/1 13 L FOREIGN PATENTS 1,074,949 7/1967 Great Britain 220/1 13 Primary Examiner-Leonard Summer Assistant Examiner-James R. Garrett Auorney\Valter M. Rodgers ABSTRACT: An article carrier having bottom and sidewalls and end wall panels foldably joined together in conventional fashion and provided with medial handle structure is arranged with partition structure on each side of the handle, the partition structures each including a medial panel secured to an auxiliary panel struck from the handle and folded downwardly together with a transversepartition panel foldably joined to the medial partition panel. If desired, a reinforcing and anchoring panel may be foldably joined to the transverse partition panel and secured to the sidewall and anchoring flaps foldably secured to edges of the medial partition panel and to the reinforcing and anchoring panel may be secured to transverse partition straps foldably joined both to the handle and to the sidewalls.

PAIENTEUuuvaoIsn 3,624,790

I SHEET 10F 2 v FIG. 3

INVENTOR. JAMES T. STOUT ATTORNEY PATENTEmnv 30 um SHEET 2 [If 2 INVENTOR- JAMES T. STOUT I Q ATTORNEY FIG. 7

ARTICLE CARRIER According to this invention, medial partition panels are disposed in longitudinal alignment with each other and are transversely staggered so as to form a substantially continuous single-ply medial partition interposed between riser panels foldably joined to the end wall panels at each end of the carrier and secured in face-contacting relationship to each other and the medial partition panels are secured along their upper portions to a common auxiliary panel struck from a handle panel and folded downwardly.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. I is a per spective view of a setup carrier constructed according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the main blank used in constructing the carrier of FIG. I; FIG. 3 is a plan view of a supplemental blank from which partition structure is formed according to the invention; FIG. 3A is a view showing the folding of the partition blank of FIG. 3 prior to glueing the partition blank to one side of the blank of FIG. 2. FIG. 3B is a view showing the folded condition of the partition blank of FIG. 3 prior to glueing such blank to the other side of the blank of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a plan view similar to FIG. 2 but which shows a pair of partition blanks such as are shown in FIG. 3 afiixed thereto; FIGS. 5 and 5 represent folding and glueing operations through which the blank structure of FIG. 4 is manipulated; and in which FIG 7 represents the final completed collapsed carrier which when set up appears as shown in FIG. I.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a sidewall to which a glue flap 2 is foldably joined along fold line 3. End wall panels 4 and 5 are foldably joined along fold lines 6 and 7 to the end edges of side wall 1. Riser panels 8 and 9 are foldably joined along fold lines 10 and II to end wall panels 4 and 5 respectively. Handle panels 12 and 13 are foldably joined to riser panels 8 and 9 along fold lines 10 and II respectively. Hand-gripping apertures 14 and 15 are formed within handle panels 12 and 13 respectively. Transverse partition strap 16 is foldably joined to sidewall I along fold line 17 and to handle panel 12 along fold line I8. In like fashion partition strap 19 is foldably joined to sidewall I along fold line 20 and to handle panel I3 along fold line 21.

The other side of the carrier is similar and comprises a pair of handle panels 22 and 23 which are foldably joined along medial fold lines 24 and 24a to handle panels 12 and I3 respectively. An auxiliary panel 25 is struck from handle panel 22 and foldably joined thereto along fold line 25a. Handgripping aperture 26 is struck from handle panel 23. Riser panel 27 is foldably joined to handle panel 22 along fold line 28 and riser panel 29 is foldably joined to handle panel 23 along fold line 30.

End wall panels 31 and 32 are foldably joined to riser panels 27 and 29 along fold lines 28 and respectively and sidewall 33 is foldably joined to end wall panels 31 and 32 along fold lines 34 and 35 respectively. Partition strap 36 is foldably joined to sidewall 33 along fold line 37 and to handle panel 22 along fold line 38. Partition strap 39 is foldably joined to sidewall 33 along fold line 40 and to handle panel 23 along fold line 4]. Bottom wall 42 is foldably joined to sidewall 33 along fold line 43 and is formed with a medial fold line 44. A pair of medial notches 45 and 46 are formed in bottom wall 42 and cooperate in known manner with notches 47. 48, 49 and 50 which are formed in riser panels 8, 27, 9 and 29 respectively.

With reference to FIG. 3, the partition structure blank comprises an anchoring flap 5I foldably joined along fold line 52 to a reinforcing and anchoring panel 53. A cutaway area 54 is disposed astride the fold line 52. Transverse partition panel 55 is foldably joined to reinforcing and anchoring panel 53 along fold line 56 and to medial partition panel 57 along fold line 58. Anchoring flap 59 is foldably joined to medial partition panel 57 along fold line 60.

The partitioning structure blank FIG. 3 is applied to both sides of the carton on either side of the handle. In order to condition a blank such as is shown in FIG. 3 for application to the portion of the carton adjacent sidewall 33. the anchoring flap 59 is folded downwardly along fold line 60 to occupy a position underneath and in flat face contracting relation to the medial partition panel 57. When so folded, the blank of FIG. 3 appears as indicated in FIG 3A, glue having been applied to the blank of FIG. 2 as indicated by stripping in that figure and causes the blank of FIG. 3A to adhere to the blank of FIG. 2 as shown in FIG. 4. More specifically the anchoring flap 59 is secured in flat face contacting relation to the partition strap 39 while the anchoring flap 51 is secured in flat face contacting relation to the transverse partition strap 36 and reinforcing and anchoring panel 53 is adhered to the sidewall 33.

For application to the other side of the blank of FIG. 2. a partitioning structure supplemental blank such as is shown in FIG. 3 is rotated about a vertical axis through an angle of I Thereafter transverse partition panel 55 is folded upwardly and toward the right along fold line 56 and into flat face contacting relation with the reinforcing and anchoring panel 53. This operation causes the medial partition panel 57 to be folded into flat face contacting relationship with the underneath surface of transverse partition panel 55. The blank than appears as shown in FIG. 38 with the anchoring panel 59, the medial partition panel 57 and the anchoring flap 5! exposed to view. The blank of FIG. 3 is then adhered to the main blank of FIG. 2 by affixing the anchoring flap 5 I to the partition strap 19 and by securing the reinforcing and anchoring panel 53 to sidewall l. The composite structure of the main blank and the two supplemental blanks then appears as depicted in FIG. 4.

An application of glue is then made to the structure of FIG. 4 as indicated by stippling in that figure. Thereafter end panels 4 and 31 are swung upwardly and toward the right along fold lines 6 and 34. Simultaneously handle panels 12 and 22 are elevated and moved toward the right and into positions of flat face contacting relation with the handle panels 13 and 23. Simultaneously partition straps l6 and 36 swing upwardly and toward the right along their fold lines I7 and 37 respectively to cause transverse partition strap 16 to become adhered to anchoring flap 59. This folding operation causes anchoring flap 51 associated with partition strap 36 to swing over into flat face contacting relation with the reinforcing and anchoring panel 53 and simultaneously riser panels 8 and 27 become adhered to the handle panels 12 and 22 respectively in the regions thereof adjacent to fold line 24 and the structure than appears as shown in FIG. 5.

An application of glue is then made to the structure of FIG. 5 as indicated by stippling. Thereafter riser panels 9 and 29 are folded upwardly and toward the left along fold lines I l and 30 respectively and become adhered to the inner surfaces of outer handle panels 13 and 23 while auxiliary panel 25 is folded downwardly along fold line 25a to occupy the position depicted in FIG. 6. This operation causes the auxiliary panel 25 to become adhered at one end thereof to the medial partition panel 57 associated with sidewall 33.

In order to manipulate the structure shown in FIG. 6 into the final completed carrier as depicted in FIG. 7 in collapsed form, an application of glue is made to glue flap 2, to the riser panels 8, 9, 27, 29, to the interior surfaces of handle panels 12 and 22 and to the upper portion of medial partition panel 57 associated with sidewall l as indicated by stippling. Sidewall l and parts associated therewith above the medial fold lines 24 and 240 are then elevated and folded forwardly along fold line 24, 24a to cause the parts to occupy the positions depicted in FIG. 7 as is well known in the art.

This latter folding operation causes the medial partition panel 57 to become adhered to the left-hand end of auxiliary panel 25. Thus upon completion of the folding operation, it is apparent that medial partition panel 57 associated with sidewall I is secured in flat face contacting relationship to the left-hand end of auxiliary panel 25. Thus the medial partition panel 57 of both the partitioning structure blanks are then disposed longitudinally of each other lengthwise of the carrier and together with the riser panels at the ends of the carrier constitute a medial partition from end to end of the carrier. Furthermore it is apparent that the two transverse partition panels of both the blanks of FIG 3 and designated by the numeral 55 are disposed in transverse alignment with each other. The reinforcing and anchoring panels 53 are staggered with respect to each other.

When the carrier is collapsed as shown in FIG. 7, transverse partition panel 55 associated with the sidewall I is interposed between medial partition panel 57 and reinforcing and anchoring panel 53 associated with sidewall I. On the other side of the carrier transverse partition panel 55 is disposed opposite medial partition panel 57 associated with sidewall I. When the carrier is set up, the transverse partition panels 55 on both sides of the handle assume a transverse position as shown in FIG. I. As is apparent in FIG. I, the medial partition panels 57 of the two blanks shown in FIG. 3 are disposed longitudinally of each other and substantially in alignment with the riser panels at each end of the carrier.

In order to set the carrier up from its collapsed condition depicted in FIG. 7 it is simply necessary to secure the left-hand edges of sidewalls 1 and 33 against movement toward the left and to apply pressure to the right-hand edge of the carton as depicted in FIG. 7 until the locking notches such as 45 and 46 formed in the bottom panel 42 engage the locking notches 47, 48, 49 and 50in known manner.

From the above description it is apparent that the invention is well suited for an eight-cell carrier in which a wide center cell on each side of the handle is defined by transverse straps which cell is subdivided by the transverse partition panel.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

I. An article carrier comprising a bottom wall, a pair of sidewalls foldably joined respectively to the side edges of said bottom wall, an end wall panel foldably joined at one edge to each end of each sidewall and arranged with its other edge disposed medially of the carrier, a riser panel foldably joined to the said other edge of each of said end wall panels and extending longitudinally inwardly of the carrier. the riser panels at each end of the carrier being secured together in flat face contacting relation, a multiple ply medial handle panel secured at its ends to the upper portions of said riser panels at each end of the carrier, an auxiliary panel struck from one ply of said handle and folded downwardly into a position underneath said handle, and partition structure interposed between each sidewall and said auxiliary panel and secured thereto, each partition structure including a medial partition panel and a transverse partition panel foldably joined thereto along vertical fold lines respectively and the medial partition panels of the partition structures being disposed longitudinally of each other lengthwise of the carrier and being staggered transversely of the carrier to form a substantially continuous single-ply medial partition structure which is interposed between and in alignment with the riser panels at each end of the carrier.

2. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein at least one transverse strap is secured to each sidewall and to said handle and wherein an anchoring flap is foldably joined to a vertical edge of each of said medial partition panels and secured in flat face contacting relation to one of said transverse straps.

3. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein a sidewall reinforcing and anchoring panel is foldably joined to the outer vertical edge of each of said transverse partition panels and secured in flat face contacting relation to the adjacent sidewall.

4. A carrier according to claim 3 wherein a transverse partition strap is foldably joined to each sidewall and to said handle at a vertical fold line immediately adjacent one edge of each of said reinforcing and anchoring panels which is remote from the edge thereof which is foldably joined to the associated transverse partition panel and wherein an anchoring flap is foldably joined to said one edge of said reinforcing and anchoring panel and secured in face contacting relation to said transverse partition strap.

5. A carrier according to claim 4 wherein a second transverse partition strap is foldably joined to each sidewall and to said handle and longitudinally spaced therefrom and wherein the space therebetween is subdivided by one of said transverse partition panels.

6. A carrier according to claim 4 wherein a cutaway area is formed in each of said partition structures and disposed astride the fold line between said anchoring flap and said reinforcing and anchoring panel.

7. A carrier according to claim 5 wherein said cutaway area is disposed astride the foldable junction between said partition strap and the associated sidewall. 

1. An article carrier comprising a bottom wall, a pair of sidewalls foldably joined respectively to the side edges of said bottom wall, an end wall panel foldably joined at one edge to each end of each sidewall and arranged with its other edge disposed medially of the carrier, a riser panel foldably joined to the said other edge of each of said end wall panels and extending longitudinally inwardly of the carrier, the riser panels at each end of the carrier being secured together in flat face contacting relation, a multiple ply medial handle panel secured at its ends to the upper portions of said riser panels at each end of the carrier, an auxiliary panel struck from one ply of said handle and folded downwardly into a position underneath said handle, and partition structure interposed between each sidewall and said auxiliary panel and secured thereto, each partition structure including a medial partition panel and a transverse partition panel foldably joined thereto along vertical fold lines respectively and the medial partition panels of the partition structures being disposed longitudinally of each other lengthwise of the carrier and being staggered transversely of the carrier to form a substantially continuous single-ply medial partition structure which is interposed between and in alignment with the riser panels at each end of the carrier.
 2. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein at least one transverse strap is secured to each sidewall and to said handle and wherein an anchoring flap is foldably joined to a vertical edge of each of said medial partition panels and secured in flat face contacting relation to one of said transverse straps.
 3. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein a sidewall reinforcing and anchoring panel is foldably joined to the outer vertical edge of each of said transverse partition panels and secured in flat face contacting relation to the adjacent sidewall.
 4. A carrier according to claim 3 wherein a transverse partition strap is foldably joined to each sidewall and to said handle at a vertical fold line immediately adjacent one edge of each of said reinforcing and anchoring panels which is remote from the edge thereof which is foldably joined to the associated transverse partition panel and wherein an anchoring flap is foldably joined to said one edge of said reinforcing and anchoring panel and secured in face contacting relation to said transverse partition strap.
 5. A carrier according to claim 4 wherein a second transverse partition strap is foldably joined to each sidewall and to said handle and longitudinally spaced therefrom and wherein the space therebetween is subdivided by one of said transverse partition panels.
 6. A carrier according to claim 4 wherein a cutaway area is formed in each of said partition structures and disposed astride the fold line between said anchoring flap and said reinforcing and anchoring panel.
 7. A carrier according to claim 5 wherein said cutaway area is disposed astride the foldable junction between said partition strap and the associated sidewall. 